Skirting board

ABSTRACT

A current adapter for insertion in a voltage rail has coupling members movable by a frame which is interlocked with a safety disc. The safety disc can be rotated to the operating condition to permit insertion of a plug for an electrical load only when the coupling members are in the coupled condition, while the device cannot be removed from the skirting board when the safety disc is in the operating condition.

United States Patent Bertrams, deceased et al.

14 1 Aug. 19, 1975 SKIRTING BOARD 3,757,063 9/1973 Hart et =11 1. 339 21 R X 3,760,133 9/1973 Howard i. v. 339/21 R X [75] Inventors Johannesxm Bertramsdeceased 3,792,413 2/1974 Hyrlainen 339 21 R late of Hllden, Germany, by Casper Antonius Henricus Mulkens. admlmstrator Emdhovenj Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Netherlands Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer [73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New Attorney, g 0r FirmFr 1I1k Trifflri York, NY.

[22] Filed: Nov. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 420,113 [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A current adapter for insertion in a voltage rail has Dec. 16, 1972 Netherlands 7217178 Coupling members movable y a frame which is inter locked with a safety disc. The safety disc can be ro- 52 US. Cl. 339/21 R; 339 39 med to the Operating Condition to lvehmit insertion of 51 Int. Cl. H01r 9/00 a P for an electrical lead only when the Couplingv 58 Field of Search 339/21, 23, 24, 36, 37, members are in the eeupled Condition, While the 339/39 40, 41 vice cannot be removed from the skirting board when the safety disc is in the operating condition. [56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 2,697,212 l2/l954 Castelli 339/4l 1I m 11 a 16 2 '13 10- S Fig. 1

SKIRTING BOARD The invention relates to a current adapter which can be coupled to a voltage rail and which comprises a housing from a bottom portion of which two hook-like coupling members project which are designed to clamp around edge portions extending along the voltage rail and which are movable relative to the housing by means of a member which can be moved between two extreme positions, the coupling members in the first extreme position of the member being in the clamping condition and the coupling members in the second extreme position of the member occupying such a position that the current adapter can be coupled to the volt age rail. The housing also comprises on its side remote from the bottom a rotatable safety disc which has re cesses cooperating with sockets arranged in the housing. Such a current adapter is known, inter alia from British Patent Specification 839,347.

The known current adapter is suitable for cooperation with a voltage rail comprising two conductors which are provided in an elongate cavity which is ac cessible, via a central slot, for two hooklike coupling members projecting from the housing of the current adapter. When coupling said current adapter to the voltage rail, the coupling members should be inserted into the slot, and the housing with the coupling members should then be rotated through an angle of 90 so that the coupling members become located opposite to the conductors. By rotating a ring which is present partly outside the housing, the coupling members are then drawn against the current conductors. The coupling members of the current adapter which are not rotatable relative to the housing thus ensure both the mechanical and the electrical coupling. The ring furthermore comprises a safety disc whose holes can be placed opposite to the socket by rotating the ring.

The safety disc is covered by a wall part of the housing having holes opposite to the sockets.

A first drawback of this known current adapter is its complicated construction which is also caused by the shape of the current rail for which said current adapter is destined.

In addition the known current adapter is less safe. As a practical matter, the safety disc comprises a large number of holes which are arranged in pairs in a circle and which can each be placed in the correct angular position opposite to the sockets by rotating the safety disc, after which the electric connection of the current adapter to a current-consuming unit can be effected. Each of the angular positions corresponds to a certain position of the hook-like contact members relative to the current conductors. This means that the electric connection of a current-consuming unit to the current adapter can have been produced when the electric connection of the current adapter to the voltage rail has not or not sufficiently been realized which may result in the fact that the current take-off taakes place with a high ohmic resistance between the current conductors and the coupling members. As a result of this, inadmissibly high temperatures may be the result.

An object of the invention is to provide a current adapter which is simple in construction and by which electric coupling to a current-consuming unit is possible only when good electric coupling of the current adapter to the voltage rail has been effected.

In a current adapter according to the invention the safety disc comprises means which cooperate with the movable member in such a manner that. when the member is in the second extreme position, the safety disc is locked by the member in a locked condition in which the holes are shifted relative to the sockets and that, when the member is in its first extreme position only, the safety disc is rotatable from said locked condition to the position in which the holes are present opposite to the sockets. The current adapter according to the invention is entirely safe because the electric connection to a current-consuming unit can be effected only when a good electric connection of the current adapter to the voltage rail has been realized.

In a preferred embodiment of the current adapter according to the invention the member is formed as a frame which is movable in the direction transverse to the plane of the bottom portion, the means on the safety disc being formed by projections which, when the frame is in its second extreme position, are present at least partly inside the frame and which, when the frame is in its first extreme position and when the safety disc has been rotated so that the recesses are present opposite to the sockets, overhang the frame at least partly. When the projections of the safety disc overhang the frame, said projections prevent the frame from being moved from the first extreme position to the second extreme positions. This means that when the plug ofa current consuming unit has been inserted into the sockets, the current adapter cannot be removed from the voltage rail.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the current adapter according to the invention the hook-like coupling members are designed only for the mechanical coupling of the current adapter to a voltage rail, the bottom portion comprising two or more projecting blade contacts which are connected to the sockets. The current conductors suitable for cooperation with said blade contacts may be formed as omega-shaped conductors between the side walls of which the blade contacts can be clamped.

The frame preferably comprises one or more operating members projecting througln recesses in the walls of the housing.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawing of an embodiment of the current adapter and the skirting board according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the current adapter and skirting board.

FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional view of the current" adapter.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of FIG. 4. i

The current adapter denoted by l in FIG. 1 is coupled electrically and mechanically to a voltage rail 2 which is incorporated in a skirting board 3. The mechanical coupling has been effected by means of two hook-like coupling members 4 and 5 which each surround edge portions 6 and 7, respectively, present on the skirting board. The coupling members 4 and 5 are manufactured from a resilient material. The electrical coupling has been effected by means of the blade contacts 8 and 9 which are clamped between the sidewalls of the omegashaped current conductors l and 11, respectively.

Of the sectional views of the current adapter, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the bottom 12 and the boss 13 present thereon in which the sockets are arranged are shown in elevation.

FIGS. 2 and 4 only show the contours of the skirting board.

The current adapter comprises a housing 14 in which a frame 15 is accommodated which is movable between two extreme positions in the direction transverse to the plane of the bottom 12. The adapter furthermore comprises a safety disc 16 which isjournalled so to be rotatable on a shaft 17 projecting from the boss 13. The safety disc 16 comprises two holes 18 which can be placed opposite to the sockets 19 shown in broken lines in FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1, 4 and S, the frame is shown in its first extreme position. This is the position in which the parts 20 and 2! ofthe frame 15 hold the hooks 4 and 5 in the clamping condition. In this position the safety disc 16 can be rotated until the holes 18 become located opposite to the sockets l9 and the electric connection with the plug of a current-consuming unit can be effected. The safety disc comprises two projections 22 which, in the operating condition of the safety disc shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, overhang the frame 15. As a result of this the frame is maintained in its first extreme position in the operating condition" of the safety disc. Because in addition rotation of the safety disc is prevented by a plug present in the sockets, the current adapter cannot be removed from the voltage rail as long as the electric connection with a current consuming unit exists.

In the sectional views shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 15 is in its second extreme position. The coupling members 4 and 5 are bent apart by the resilience of the material to such an extent that the current adapter can be removed from the voltage rail and be placed on the voltage rail, respectively. In this second position of the frame 15 the safety disc 16 with its pro jections 22 is present within the frame and is locked by the projections 22 in a locked condition in which the holes I8 are not present opposite to the sockets 19. R0- tation from the said locked condition to the operating condition" is not possible. This means that, when the current adapter is coupled to the voltage rail in such manner that the electric coupling has been realized but the mechanical coupling has not been realized, the safety disc is locked and a plug of a current-consuming unit can hence not be inserted into the sockets.

In another condition, namely that in which the current adapter is neither electrically nor mechanically connected to the voltage rail but in which the current adapter is connected to a current-consuming unit. the frame is necessarily in the first extreme position and the hooklike coupling members 4 and 5 assume the clamping condition. Because in that condition the coupling members prevent the bottom 12 from being placed in the correct manner against the skirting board the electric connection of the blade contact with the current conductors cannot be effected.

In this embodiment of the current adapter, the frame is movable inside the housing due to the presence of two operating members 23 which are present on the frame and which project outside the housing through the recesses 24.

As is shown in FIG. I, the skirting board 3 comprises a compartment 26 in which the voltage rail 2 is incorporated. And a ridge portion 27 which extends to beyond the compartment 26. As a result of this a space 28 is formed in which an edge of. for example, a floor covering can be accommodated, which edge is then no longer visible.

The voltage rail shown in this embodiment comprises three current conductors 10, 11 and 29 and an earth conductor 30 which are embedded in a synthetic material. Due to the presence of the three current conductors, the possibility is provided of arbitrarily connecting the current adapter to the conductors l0 and 11 or 29 and 11. The current adapter may be provided, if desired, with an earth contact suitable for connection to the earth conductor 30. The skirting board furthermore comprises a cable channel 31 covered by means of a detachable cover 32 in which current cables can be accommodated.

What is claimed is:

1. A current adapter for connecting and holding an electrical socket to a current rail, comprising a housing having a bottom portion and an upper portion, two coupling members connected to said lower portion for movement between an unclamped position and a clamping position for clamping under an edge portion of the current rail, a movable member within said housing movable between first and second extreme positions, means for moving said coupling members from said unclamped position to said clamping position responsi've to movement of said movable member from said second to said first extreme positions and for returning said coupling members to said unclamped position upon movement of said movable member to said second position, means for making electrical contact with a conductor in said voltage rail, socket means for connecting a current-consuming unit to the adapter, a safety disc connected to said upper portion and covering said socket means, movable between a locked position and an operating position, said disc having at least one hole aligned with said socket means only when said disc is in said operating position, and means for permitting movement of said disc from said locked position only when said movable member is in said first extreme position and for permitting movement of said movable member from said first extreme position only when said disc is in said locked position, whereby said adapter.

cannot be removed from the voltage rail while a plug is inserted in the socket means.

2. A current adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable member comprises a frame movable in a direction transverse to a plane of said bottom portion, said means for permitting comprising projectionson said disc which are at least partly inside said frame when it is in said second extreme position, which projections at least partly overhang said frame when said disc is in said unoperating position.

3. A current adapter as claimed in claim I, wherein said coupling members provide only mechanical coupling of said adapter to each rail, and said means for making electrical contact comprise at least two blade contacts projecting from said bottom portion.

l l l 

1. A current adapter for connecting and holding an electrical socket to a current rail, comprising a housing having a bottom portion and an upper portion, two coupling members connected to said lower portion for movement between an unclamped position and a clamping position for clamping under an edge portion of the current rail, a movable member within said housing movable between first and second extreme positions, means for moving said coupling members from said unclamped position to said clamping position responsive to movement of said movable member from said second to said first extreme positions and for returning said coupling members to said unclamped position upon movement of said movable member to said second position, means for making electrical contact with a conductor in said voltage rail, socket means for connecting a current-consuming unit to the adapter, a safety disc connected to said upper portion and covering said socket means, movable between a locked position and an operating position, said disc having at least one hole aligned with said socket means only when said disc is in said operating position, and means for permitting movement of said disc from said locked position only when said movable member is in said first extreme position and for permitting movement of said movable member from said first extreme position only when said disc is in said locked position, whereby said adapter cannot be removed from the voltage rail while a plug is inserted in the socket means.
 2. A current adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable member comprises a frame movable in a direction transverse to a plane of said bottom portion, said means for permitting comprising projections on said disc which are at least partly inside said frame when it is in said second extreme position, which projections at least partly overhang said frame when said disc is in said unoperating position.
 3. A current adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling members provide only mechanical coupling of said adapter to each rail, and said means for making electrical contact comprise at least two blade contacts projecting from said bottom portion. 